servationist of the U.S. Soil Conservation Ser- 

 vice can provide advice. Local nurserymen 

 also can help with the selection of species and 

 their planting. 



Begin by making some mental sketches of 

 your lot. Think of coastal property as a series of 

 zones, Graetz says. 



The grass or pioneer zone is closest to the 

 ocean and has the most direct exposure to the 

 elements. Only the most tolerant beach grasses 

 and low-lying plants can survive here. 



Photo by Scott Taylor 



Even in winter, thick The middle, or "scrub zone," begins behind 

 foliage lines the wdkivay the protection of the first dunes. Here you'll 

 to Graetzs beach house find plants such as yaupon holly, wax myrtle 



and live oak. 



Most beachfront lots never advance beyond 

 the scrub zone, Graetz says. 



Farthest from the shore is the forest zone, 

 containing pine and hardwood trees, shrubs 

 and vines. 



Since the zones often overlap, your yard 

 may be able to support a variety of plants. 



After you determine the characteristics of 

 your lot, check with a local nursery to find out 

 what plants are available and their recom- 

 mended planting seasons. 



If you're constructing a new home, ask your 

 builder to leave as much of the natural vegeta- 

 tion as possible. This will make your landscap- 

 ing job easier. 



And Graetz says you'll have better success if 

 you stick with native plants. 



Those plants have adapted to the coastal 

 environment and they're salt hardy, Graetz 

 says. "Besides, the native plants are really gor- 

 geous, and most people don't recognize that." 



If you have beachfront property, begin your 

 landscaping project on the dunes. This is the 

 most important area because its stabilization is 

 essential to the protection of your property. 



Graetz recommends a combination of Amer- 

 ican beach grass, sea oats and bitter panicum 

 Interspersed with a low ground cover such as 



lippia, trailing wildbean or yuccas. 



Plant beach grass in the fall and winter. 

 Then, in the summer, add bitter panicum and 

 sea oats. 



You can buy the grasses and the proper fer- 

 tilizer from a nursery. (It is illegal in North 

 Carolina to dig sea oats.) 



Behind the first row of dunes, a wider variety 

 of plants can survive. "When these plants get 

 their heads down below that salt wind, you can 

 grow much more," Graetz says. 



Choose from plants such as wax myrtle, live 

 oak, red cedar, red bay, yaupon and American 

 holly. Another of Graetz's favorites is the 

 Carolina cherry laurel tree. 



These plants can be used for landscaping 

 around your cottage. But be sure not to plant 

 too closely to your building. 



"Have an idea of what it will look like when 

 it's grown," Graetz says. "Most people put a 

 2-foot-high plant 2 feet away from the build- 

 ing. But it'll be 6 feet wide when it's full 

 grown." 



Next, you're ready to tackle the lawn 

 grasses. 



The best choice is centipede. It requires the 

 least care and management and takes only 

 three years to get a good sod. Bring in 4 to 5 

 inches of topsoil to mix in with the sand. 



Bermuda grass is another possibility, but it 

 requires a lot more management. 



For salt hardiness and resistance to wave 

 action, choose the native bitter panicum. In a 

 recent northeaster, this grass withstood the 

 waves better than any other. It must be pur- 

 chased from a nursery or transplanted from a 

 natural area; it can't be grown from seed. 



For show, Graetz lines his driveway with 

 seacoast bluestem. In some parts of the coast, 

 bluestem makes up about 70 percent of the 

 native grasses behind the frontal dune. 



Bluestem grows about VA feet tall, has a 

 chalky blue color and sprouts feathery seed 

 heads. 



"A low fall sun slanting across stands of this 

 grass might remind you of a frosted fairyland," 

 Graetz says. 



If you want your yard to have that natural 

 look, Graetz suggests planting seaside golden- 

 rod. You know it as a weed that causes hay- 

 fever. But Graetz says that's a fallacy. The 

 pollen of the goldenrod is so heavy that it falls 

 to the ground instead of floating through the 

 air. 



The goldenrod will add a bright green color 

 to your yard, and in October, its blooms add a 

 showy yellow color. 



Keep in mind these are only a few sugges- 

 tions, Graetz says. And even though native 

 plants have a better chance at survival, some 

 exotic species from as far away as Japan have 

 done very well on the North Carolina coast. 



